Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week. Additional hours may be necessary to fulfil the role’s Requirements. We would be open to a discussion and requests for alternative, part-time hours and work patterns as well a potential job share. Please do state in your application if this would be something you would like us to consider for you.
Salary: £90,000
Responsible to: Chief Operating Officer
Responsible For: Data & Insights Team
Purpose of the Role
We are looking for a new Director of Data and Insight to develop and lead our Data & Insight transformation strategy – to put data at the forefront of business decisions, to enable us to evidence our impact in the most compelling way, and to use it to maximise our operational effectiveness.
This is a significant new strategic leadership role for the NT.
You will report to the Chief Operating Officer, sit on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and lead a small Data & Insight Team that is centrally positioned in the organisation and works with all departments. You will help to shape and recruit the Data & Insight Team, and also guide the work of other data owners across the NT.
Your work will build on initial strategies for Data, Evaluation and Research that we have produced over the last 12 months with external experts. Preparing these strategies confirmed that the NT has many strengths and resources, for example an in-house Archive holding 60 years of organisational history and substantial datasets, a track record in audience research, sophisticated finance reporting, and strong research partnerships and projects. Preparing the strategies also revealed that – like most cultural organisations – the NT is not currently mature in its data use, despite pockets of good practice, and so there is huge potential to advance our practice. We have an ambitious five year strategy and significant fundraising targets to hit. It is imperative that we make increasingly informed, data driven decision making, and this role – and the output of the department will support insightful business decisions. We also want to be creative and innovative in how we use data to tell the story of the NT as a global cultural institution to support our fundraising and statutory funding position.
At this point we envisage your new Data & Insight Team as two Data Analyst/Engineer roles, one part-time evaluation-focused role, and an Administrator. You and your team will:
- Lead on and advocate for the use of data across the NT, developing our use of data and evidence in strategic and business planning, working with key stakeholders across the organisation.
- Build up the NT’s data architecture, drawing on key sources to build a centralised data analysis function and dashboards/reports for key users e.g. Senior Leadership Team, key funders.
- Lead on the use of data to evidence the NT’s economic and social impact, on a national and international basis, to drive the development of our work and to support our case for funding.
- Develop and embed a stronger evaluation culture in the NT, utilising and refining our recently developed Theory of Change and Evaluation Framework and working with SLT and departments to strengthen our use of evaluation for reporting and strategic development.
- Build significant partnerships around evidence and data and contribute to understanding of the impact of the performing arts sector.
- Embed good data governance and encourage data culture change throughout the NT.
- Devise a phased delivery plan for internal data projects identified as priorities in our work to date, e.g. central KPI dashboard, evaluation data, People data, Net Zero tracker.
- Facilitate provision of data for external-facing Research Reports, annual Impact Report, etc.
- Devise short pilot data projects to demonstrate the art of the possible and to engage staff.
- In due course, scope corporate partnership or secondments, to deliver specific time-limited data projects or tasks.
- Build a network of strong relationships with external partners and stakeholders, including research partners and funders, policy and data sector partners and across the creative sector.
- In time, consider forming a ‘Data in Theatres Group’ to share insights across the sector.
Advise us as to what we’re missing! How are the ways in which data could propel the National Theatre forward that we haven’t considered.
Inter-departmental working
Your new team will work with data owners already based within NT departments, such as Development, Learning, Marketing, People, Finance, Productions, Estates – coordinating their data activity within the NT wide data strategy. These data owners will continue to be line-managed within their departments, but with accountability to Data & Insight Team on processes and standards.
The role will work closely with the Director of IT on developing data architecture, technology and tools.
A Data & Insight Steering Group composed of senior leaders from across the NT, will support you to embed good data governance and data culture change, and provide guidance on data priorities.
We are resolving how we manage our evolving research programme: this could result in a further team member being added to your Data & Insight Team.
Duties and Responsibilities
- To lead the NT’s Data & Insight transformation, to include a Data Governance framework, in consultation with, and guidance and direction from, the Data & Insight Steering Group.
- To inspire and persuade NT leaders to champion a cross organisational ‘data culture change’; to support organisational understanding and buy in at all levels of seniority as to the value and importance of data and analytics to help achieve our aims, and to raise data literacy and build internal demand for data.
- To take responsibility for creating and embedding a data and insight-driven culture of delivery and iterative improvement across the NT.
- Lead the continued development of the NT’s strategy for evaluation, ensuring an integrated approach across data, evaluation and research Collaborate with key departments to strengthen the NT’s approach to evaluation and impact measurement, and work with the Steering Group and SLT to develop a stronger culture of evaluation across the National Theatre.
- To lead, support and develop the Data & Insight Team, providing effective leadership and project management support, and building their profile within the organisation and sector, and to provide leadership, support and guidance to other data owners across the NT.
- To support key business objectives through data and insight (such as live and digital sales, and membership and fundraising), setting the vision and processes for the use of data, segmentation, insights and research, and embedding.
- To develop the data and reporting infrastructure, working closely with the Director of IT.
- To lead on measuring the performance of core activity as agreed by the Data & Insight Steering Group, encouraging a continuous improvement approach across the organisation.
- To lead, manage and commission insight and research projects with external partners.
- Any other duties as reasonably require
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) you will be expected to contribute to the strategic development and sound management of the organisation in collaboration with other SLT members.
By the end of FY 2025/26 (March 26) you will be able to demonstrate:
- NT’s leadership makes decisions based on stronger management data and customer insight. SLT reports that access to stronger authoritative data is positively influencing their decisions: Data Community reports greater engagement with data, accuracy of data, efficiency of data handling within their departments.
- NT is in control of its impact narrative, driving advocacy and fundraising. Board is satisfied with new more comprehensive impact narrative; NT switches to proactive reporting for key funders; NT engages 2 new donors/ funders using fresh narrative.
- NT helps to push forward arts evaluation practice. NT builds new strategic partnership; NT helps to trial new evaluation approaches; NT helps to disseminate results to the wider arts sector
- Internal decision making is more reflective and informed. SLT and Heads of Departments report that the new feedback and evaluation methods support their work and decision making.
Benefits
- Complementary staff tickets for shows, subject to availability and policy.
- Discounts in the NT’s bars, cafes, restaurants, and bookshop, as well as in local businesses (from Wagamama to local childcare providers & gyms on and around the South Bank).
- Access to retailer discounted gift cards and a cash back on spending card.
- Access to interest-free season ticket loan and cycle scheme partnership.
- Pension schemes with Legal & General and NEST.
- 25 days annual leave increasing up to 32 with length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Sabbatical option, subject to agreement and policy.
- Generous sick pay.
- Family-friendly employer with supporting policies.
- Hybrid and flexible working, subject to agreement and policy.
- Training and Development Programme via e-learning platform, and specialist in-person training relating to role.
- On-site Occupational Health and Wellbeing support.
- On-site staff canteen and bar.
Staff networks and communities:
The National Theatre has five Staff Networks:
Amplified: Network for the Global Majority
The networks are run voluntarily by our staff.
The NT is also a member of Parents and Carers in the Performing Arts (PiPA).
We support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for our vacancies.
If you would like to speak to someone about any adjustments or concerns you can email recruitment@nationaltheatre.org.uk and we will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements.
People Department 2024